Posts Tagged corporate feminism

Two weeks ago, on their first day of orientation training, Barnard College resident advisors (RAs) were surprised to learn they had to sign a “Training Expectations” contract for their first week back, promising not to show any part of their bellies, butts, or bras.

The belly-butt-bra prohibition fell under the second of the training expectations: “Dress appropriately for training.”

According to the contract, which RAs report to Feministing was not discussed or negotiated before their signing, students who did not comply with the policy would be asked by their supervisors to “go home and change.”

Two weeks ago, on their first day of orientation training, Barnard College resident advisors (RAs) were surprised to learn they had to sign a “Training Expectations” contract for their first week ...

Feministing founder Jessica Valenti has an important piece at The Nation on the rise of corporate feminism–and the dangers it could pose to the movement. She argues that we’re in an exciting moment when feminism is enjoying mainstream popularity like never before. But as “thought leader” projects, like TED Talks, embrace feminist values, they tend to focus more on feel-good “empowerment” and the more controversial–but vitally important–issues like abortion risk getting left behind.

Jessica explains how she started to feel concerned when she attended last year’s TEDWomen conference and realized she hadn’t heard anyone mention abortion.